Keep Your Enemies Closer
by Frantic Rush
Summary: Fay has been forced to play the Game by none other than the hostile Peter White. She decides to keep a close eye on him, in order to stay safe. But what if it leads to trouble instead? Sequel to 'Song of Nerves' :)
1. Chapter 1

**Author: as requested, a FayxPeter story! Thank you for helping me out guys, I appreciate it :3**

* * *

I glared into the sky after Nightmare was done saying those ill-omened words. Was I turning crazy for hearing his voice in my head or was telepathy another one of his freaking powers? This is getting ridiculous, Nightmare.

I sighed deeply to calm myself. Think, Fay. Getting angry doesn't solve anything. Especially not the problems Peter created for me. The memory of him forcing me to drink had me enraged again. That jerk, stealing my first kiss! I always imagined my first kiss being with someone who I truly love and who loves me in return. A little childish I admitted, but… I sure as hell didn't want him to kiss me! He even spit afterwards. That douchebag, that stupid freaking -!

I struggled to cool my head for the second time. What's done was done. I had to think about my course of action now.

Okay, let's reflect. I'm participating in the Game of Hearts. Involuntarily may I add, but that isn't relevant right now. Moreover, Peter said something about me being useful to him. For what? I have no idea. All I knew is that the minute I'm not useful anymore, there will be a bullet between my eyes.

I shivered uncontrollably. Just now, I was so close to being murdered! And the Game has only begun… Furthermore, if a bunny is this hostile, then I don't even want to know what will happen if I meet that cat. Oh my gosh, how in the blazes am I going to survive in Wonderland? I'll be riddled with bullets before I know it!

As fear overtook me I quickly scanned the dark alley. There were no role-holders in sight for now… But what if Peter changed his mind and comes back to slaughter me? I need to leave. Now.

Problem was… where to? I picked the treacherous vial up from the ground and started to walk in a random direction. It's better to think while I walk in this case. Just keep walking, just keep walking. I hummed a nervous tune as I tried to collect my thoughts.

Should I go to the forest? No wait, I told Peter I would go there. But then again, it was an obvious lie so he wouldn't actually expect I would actually go there. Would he? I worriedly bit my lower lip. Aaargh! This is a mess. A huge mess. How could anyone last in this world?

I abruptly halted and I swore I could feel a light bulb coming to live in my mind. I turned around and started sprinting to the Tower of Clover.

Of course! Why didn't I think about it earlier! There actually _is_ someone who had endured it all and even won the Game: Alice! She could help me. And I knew she _would_, she's a kind girl. I grinned widely.

And while I'm there I could ask Nightmare why he has so many ludicrous powers. Perfect.

I picked up my pace as I saw the Tower nearing.

* * *

One of the servant bowed apologetically and I felt my shoulders slump down. It turned out all role-holders went out to search for me after I left the meeting. Including Alice. I ran a hand through my hair in defeat. Just my luck.

"Ah, but Mr. Monrey is still in the Clock Tower. I'm sure he will be more than happy to help you!" the servant said brightly. Ha. I couldn't imagine Julius being happy, let alone being more than happy. I nodded anyway to the man before me. Might as well try asking the mortician.

"Thank you, I'll go to him then."

"Excellent! Let me escort you, miss Fay."

I inwardly sighed in relief as I followed him. This Tower has way too many hallways for me to remember. The servant chatted happily about how excited he was with the new Game and expressed his worry when he found out I had been missing for the second time.

I raised an eyebrow at that, but kept quiet.

I don't know this man. I've never met him before. And still he was _worried_ about me? Why? I'm a complete stranger to him. It just didn't add up. But then again, maybe he's the overly worried type of person and I'm just overanalysing things.

"Well miss Fay, here we are!" He bowed and bid me farewell. I thanked him again and watched him walk away.

I knocked on the door thrice and I heard a quiet 'come in'. I silently opened the door in front of me to reveal the working mortician. He didn't look up from the clock he was working on and continued his task as I entered the room. I shuffled around feeling out of place as the silence prolonged. Uh… okay?

"Hello… uhm, sorry for disturbing you, Julius?"

He looked over the rim of his glasses and set his tools aside. He gestured to the chair next to him and I quickly sat down. Finally! Now at least I won't have to stand awkwardly in the middle of the room.

"I thought you said you didn't want to play the Game of Hearts." He said with a monotone voice. Does he… even care? It didn't sound like he cared, it sounded like he asked me about the weather while looking out the window or something. And how does he know about the Game anyway?

He must have seen my confusion for he answered my unspoken question.

"When a new Game starts, everyone will notice. And that brings me back to you, since you are the only one who can start a new Game."

"I see. Well, I didn't want any of this. Peter forced me to drink whatever was in this vial." I showed him the small bottle and then examined it myself.

Huh? It contained a very tiny drop of a light blue liquid. I thought I drank everything before? But I was positive the stuff inside was colourless the moment I received it at the meeting. Does that mean… it's already filling up?

"Peter did? That's odd, why would he-?"

Julius promptly slammed his hands on the table as he stood up. The powerful sound made me jump up too. I was shocked to see the clockmaker portray such a strong emotion and alarm surged through me. W-what?

"That insolent rabbit must think I will leave Alice now that you're here. The nerve he has! Like I will _ever _fall for another." he said as he stormed right passed me to the door.

Woah wait, mortician. You're making no sense.

I hurried after the man, practically running after him. What's gotten into him?

"Excuse me, what do you mean, 'fall'?"

He stopped so unexpectedly I nearly bumped into him.

"You don't know? All role-holders will fall in love with the foreigner. It's one of Wonderland's rules."

"WHAT?"


	2. Chapter 2

"WHAT?" I shouted. "What did you say?!"

"Please don't scream." he muttered and rubbed his temple with both hands. Well excuse me for freaking out, but what did you expect when you said the most inconceivable thing I have ever heard in my entire life. Everyone will fall in love with me?! What the heck… I don't want that!

"I said that all role-holders will fall in love with the foreigner. Point is, there are two foreigners now so the other role-holders won't automatically love you. My feelings for Alice won't change. Peter _knows_ this but apparently he's still desperate enough to force you into the Game. To think he would use such an underhand method to try to get us seperated…" Julius trailed of and his expression tightened.

"So… uh, he loves her?"

His adverse glare told me everything he didn't say. Okay I stepped on a landmine. Angry Julius is scary. Note to future self: don't talk to Julius about Alice's suitors.

My head snapped up at the sound of approaching footsteps and Julius followed my gaze. Alice, Nightmare and Gray rounded the corner and I couldn't be happier with their timing. I'm saved~

"There you are! I've been waiting for you guys and- WHOA GRAY!" I shouted as the ex-assassin swept me off my feet and held me in a princess lift. This is, what, the second time he carried me around like I'm a sack potatoes? I can walk perfectly fine you know?!

He marched straight passed a surprised Alice and an unimpressed Nightmare in the direction of Nightmare's office. He kicked the door open, walked in and moved me so I sat on the edge of a desk. All the while ignoring my protests. W-What's going on? He slammed his hands on either side of my legs, effectively trapping me. I gulped at the close proximity. Does he not know the term 'personal space'?

"Where are you hurt?" he asked terse.

"H-huh? What are y-you talking about?"

"Peter! I see your cloak is ripped so don't tell me you're fine. Where did he hurt you?"

"O-oh, he uhm, punched me in the stomach?" I said. It sounded more like a question due to my embarrassment. Can't he back off a bit? So close…

His hands immediately went for my shirt, but before he could do anything I stopped him. I silently thanked the heavens for gifting me with quick reflexes.

"Gray, stop fretting, she's fine." Nightmare appeared from the doorway with Alice and Julius closely following.

"No." Gray said stubbornly. "Fay, please show it to me."

I changed my mind and hesitantly edged my shirt up, because he sounded genuinely concerned. Plus, he won't do any funny business when there are three other people in the room, right?

"Your lack of trust can be hilarious, Fay." Nightmare snickered. I wasn't paying attention to him however, because I was studying Gray.

He gasped loudly when he saw my stomach. I could see a nasty purple bruise forming, but it was nothing to _gasp_ about. He was definitely overreacting. I mean, I could have died back there with Peter pointing a gun at me, so I should count myself lucky with just a simple bruise.

"He nearly shot you?!" Nightmare roared before darting to the nearest trashcan and heaving up blood.

"Yeah, we didn't exactly have a friendly encounter." I said sheepishly to disperse the tension in the air. Of course this didn't work.

Alice was at my side in a second and clasped both of my hands with a worried look.

"Oh, Fay! I'm so sorry! It's all my fault… After I chose to be with Julius, Peter's changed for the worse. He's really violent now and never smiles. He even threatened Julius multiple times and now you too…" Her voice trailed off as tears began to stream down her face. Oh dear…

I gently freed my hands to pat her back and she latched on to me right away.

"You don't have to apologise, Alice. It's alright…"

I watched how Julius peeled Alice away from me and hugged her. Immediately, I felt the need to protect this frail girl. Even though I barely knew her, she had… become my friend. And I won't just stand on the side lines while Alice gets hurt.

"Hey, hold your horses, Fay!" Nightmare said frantically after reading my line of thoughts. "Peter is highly unstable at the moment so you shouldn't make him your enemy. There is no knowing of what he'll do next."

Nightmare was right. Compared to that rabbit, I'm so, _so_ incredibly weak. If it would come down to it, I would be dead in the blink of an eye. Just remembering his cold blood red eyes had me frozen in fright. It would be foolish to have him as a foe when I could stay out of the way instead.

But Nightmare was right in _every_ way. We really didn't know what he'll do to capture Alice. I gritted my teeth as the most logical but dangerous conclusion came to mind.

"No, no, NO! Where did you get that idea!" Nightmare exclaimed. He then had to grab the bin again and Gray moved to sit next to him for help.

Well, you know what they say, Nightmare. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. And that's exactly what I'm going to do.

But I had to make sure I'll stay alive, I wasn't entirely stupid… The image of the elegant queen flashed before my eyes. That's it! Vivaldi showed such kindness towards me during the meeting, surely she won't allow Peter to harm me. And because she was the _queen_, Peter would have to oblige her commands, right? Which meant I could observe him safely to uncover his weaknesses. Then the next time he decides to strike… _I_ will be the one with the upper hand.

But this could only work if I manage to avoid Peter until I find Vivaldi. That could seriously be a problem, since I have never been to the castle's territory. Heck, I don't even know were the castle is.

"Exactly! So you should just stay here, nice and warm besides the fireplace. Gray, make us some coffee, please." Nightmare grinned and clapped his hands.

I took one look at Alice who was still upset, to know my decision was already made. Sorry Nightmare, maybe some other time.

"FAY?!" He shouted before hurrying to the trashcan. That mind reader should seriously learn shouting is not the best thing to do with his health.

I excited quietly while everyone was preoccupied with Nightmare.

Time to visit the castle.


	3. Chapter 3

I held the beautifully ornamented cup in both my hands and enjoyed the warmth I was receiving. Across from me sat Vivaldi, who was holding her teacup so elegantly… it looked like she came straight from a painting.

"Is the tea not to your liking, my dear?"

"N-No, it's wonderful, Your Highness!" I said hastily. High class people always made me nervous, and this is the _queen,_ no less! I was too scared to look at her for more than a few seconds. Why was I here again? Oh yes. Peter.

He sat next to the queen and casted me a suspicious glare now and then.

I was incredible lucky I stumbled on one of the guards when I was lost in the garden's maze. I asked him to take me straight to Vivaldi, without Peter's knowing. My strange request should have made him distrustful, but instead he happily took me to the queen.

Peter on the other hand, wasn't that trusting. I inwardly smirked. What? You didn't think I would visit soon after you nearly killed me? He knew I had something up my sleeve, but he clearly couldn't figure it out. Ha! Take that.

"Are you perhaps too cold, Fay?" the queen said unsure.

"Ah, not at all! I simply enjoy the warmth, Your Majesty." Whoops. I had been lost in thought again.

"No need for formalities, Fay. You are our important guest, after all. Please call us Vivaldi and be at ease."

"Thank you, Vivaldi!" I said surprised. A royal who asked me to drop etiquettes… Wow, if that would happen in my old world, that would cause quite a stir. I smiled more warmly at the woman in front of me.

"You're welcome dear. Think of us as your older sister from now on." She placed the cup at her lips and sipped peacefully.

"We are pleased you chose to participate in the Game. But tell us, why did you change your mind?"

I could feel tension in the air and Peter's eyes staring at me. Uh oh, I wasn't prepared for this question. This could be tricky.

"Ah, well. This and that happened… Uhm, it's a long story and it would probably bore you, Vivaldi." I anxiously gulped. Vivaldi wasn't pleased at all with my vague answer, but it was the best answer I could give in my circumstances. If I would tell the truth then…

I looked at Peter and flinched in my seat. Oh boy, if looks could kill. Peter was extremely cross, I could tell. If he really wanted to kill me could Vivaldi stop him? Okay, I'm doubting my own plan about sticking close to my enemy.

"This and that, you say? _This and that_? That is the most insulting thing I ever-"

"Peter White!" Vivaldi snapped. "If you cannot behave, we will have you removed from our tea party." The strong authority in her voice was undeniable and I could see Peter grit his teeth.

"Oh no… I'll stay." He said very slowly to make sure I would get the message of the underlying threat. A challenge, huh? Well, I accept.

I mustered up all my courage to send him my best smile in return. Holly told me the best way to humiliate your enemies, is to kill them with kindness. I could see the effect my strategy had on Peter, as he was fuming even more. Oh Holly, you really are a genius.

"We apologise for the prime minister's rudeness. He is but a male, so it is to be expected… but it was still uncalled for. Men just don't know how to behave, do they?" Vivaldi scoffed.

"No, it's okay." I said while reaching for the sugar. I liked my tea when it's a little bit on the sweet side. Oh?

"Uhm, Vivaldi? Do you have a teaspoon for the sugar, perhaps?" I asked politely.

Vivaldi whipped around to the several attendees that stood a few meters from the table, who refilled the refreshments from time to time.

"Which one of you is responsible for the cutlery?" she asked coldly. The maids were all trembling in fright until one stepped forward. She bowed profusely.

"I am so terribly sorry, Your Highness! I didn't mean to forget! Please, have mercy!" H-h-have mercy?! What?

"This is inexcusable! Off with your head!" Vivaldi ordered. The poor maid began to cry as guards approached her.

WHAT? The image of the kind hearted royal shattered in an instant as I saw how ruthless she could be. J-just for a teaspoon?! This can't be true!

"Wait, Vivaldi! It's okay, really! I didn't want sugar anyway… Let her go, just this time. I-I can't bear to have someone killed because such a thing, so please. " I begged.

"Hmpf. Are all foreigners concerned about mere faceless? Very well. You! Learn from your mistakes and get out of my sight."

The servant bowed deeply and scurried off. I stared in the distance she went off. The queen… when she is in a foul mood she's more dangerous than I thought. Maybe staying here isn't the brightest ideas.

"Uhm Vivaldi? I think I should go… I have to work in a few time changes, so- "

As if on cue the time changed to night. Oh of all the…

"Nonsense! You must stay here, we insist! We won't allow such a cute foreigner to roam the streets at this hour."

Ooooh no. Ooooooooh no. Not good.

"Thank you for your offer, but I should really leave…" Vivaldi arched a dainty eyebrow. Oh gosh…

"Where to?"

"Uhm, the… forest?"

"You will do no such thing and that's final. Peter, take her to the guest rooms." Said man took one look at me and then walked away briskly.

My spine stiffened. Don't get scared now, Fay, you wanted this. I inhaled deeply, bowed to the queen and followed the rabbit.

He didn't wait for me to catch up and I could have sworn he was walking faster when I did. He stayed silent until he stopped before, presumably, the guest room.

"You. You think you can just waltz in and stay? Lazy freeloader."

"Well, it's not polite to refuse an offer twice." I was trying to sound civil, but he made it really difficult. "Besides I'm not lazy, I have a job." I muttered.

"But you're still a freeloader." He snapped and turned away. Wait, I know exactly how I could stay close to him.

"You must have a lot of work as the prime minister…" Come on, Peter. Take the bait…

"Naturally! Five faceless are necessary to accomplish what I do in a day." He huffed. Is he serious or is he being arrogant? He doesn't seem like the arrogant type…

"Then, why don't you have an assistant?"

"Do you see anyone slacking in this castle, imbecile? Everyone has their own jobs. There simply are no faceless left to assist me."

Aha!

"There is a slacker here… Someone who doesn't do anything but stays in the castle anyway…" I trailed off slowly. I had trouble not to smirk.

"Where is he? I will give him work immediately!" he seethed. Oh~ I could smell sweet victory.

"_I_'m the one who doesn't work, right? Let _me_ be your assistant in the evenings, after I finish my job in town."

He was clearly taken aback. Peter looked suspicious, but nodded stiffly after a while.

"Very well. But be careful what you wish for." He smiled devilishly.

Oh, dear.


	4. Chapter 4

I sleepily cracked my eyes open. Thank goodness I was able to wake up before I would have that nightmare again. I turned my head to the right, looking out of the window of the guest room. Hrm, still night time. I should try to get some shut eye… Yeah that's a good idea. My thoughts were a mumbled mess as I closed my eyes again. But after a while I felt more awake then before. No sleep! Don't evade me…

Ugh. I grabbed at my own throat, the reason why I was currently wide awake. What? Is there a freaking Sahara in there or something? So thirsty…

I sighed annoyed. I guess I had to get up and find some water. In this huge, cold castle. I slowly sat up, only to quickly duck under the warm blankets again. Goosebumps decorated my exposed arms and I studied them groggy. I was grateful Vivaldi lend me some clothes, even though this thin frilly nightgown looked far too expensive for me.

I exhaled loudly as the thirst became unbearable. Okay Fay, time to move. The moment I left my warm bed I sprinted to the closet and grabbed my cloak. I quickly put it on. Aaaah, so much better! Step one completed, now step two.

I made my way to the mirror to inspect the damage. My hair looked… marvellous. If I was aiming for first place in a Medusa look-a-like contest, that is. Geez, it's almost as if my hair had a mind of its own. I ran my hands through my hair, trying to smooth the stubborn locks. How the heck did this strand of hair get bend in such an absurd angle? Whenever I confined it behind my left ear, it obstinately returned its place. Oh great. No it looked as if I had an antenna on top of my head. If Casper could see me now, he would definitely ask if I was trying to contact Mars or something.

I gave up trying to salvage my looks. I looked under the bed to hunt down my socks. There you are! Armed with my socks and cloak, I went out to the cold hallway.

Looking around me, it dawned on me I never had a tour of the castle. A part of me wanted to go back and dive under the blankets but my throat kept annoying me. Ugh. Okay let's see. If I were a kitchen, were would I be?

Well, I would obviously be on the left.

Even though my mind was sluggish, I hurried as best as I could down the hall. Wow, so many halls and rooms! It must be a hassle to clean this place. Oh wait, Vivaldi had an army of servants.

I slapped my cheeks twice. Wakey wakey brain! Now is not the time to be half awake… I still need to find the kitchen AND my way back to my room. But where _is_ this kitchen? In a place this big, there should at least be more than one kitchen, right? I sighed tiredly. When I find that kitchen I'll drink a gallon of water to punish my stupid throat. Yeah, that's what I'll do.

Oh wait? There's light over there… Kitchen? Is that you kitchen?

Ugh, so sleepy… I stifled a yawn.

I approached the light with wobbling feet, rubbing my eyes when the light became stronger. Ah, it's a room and the door is ajar, letting the light escape. I felt my mood fall. Gosh, just when I thought I reached my destination, I find this! Even though I had no idea what 'this' was, but I was determined to find out.

I peeked inside and suddenly I was wide awake. Peter was sitting behind his desk, but he wasn't working. He was slumped over a lot of paperwork and was breathing deeply, indicating that he was fast asleep. The prime minister held a pen in his right hand, his left was beneath his cheeks to form a pillow.

My curiosity was sparked. This was a golden opportunity! A defenceless Peter, ready to be observed!

I cracked the door open, enough for me to slip in. I tiptoed closer to his desk, taking taps of his peaceful breathing. If he were to wake up now, I'll be in big trouble. I repeat, big trouble. But if he does then I should just tell him the truth and say I was searching for the kitchen. He won't kill me over something like entering his office will he?

Okay, so maybe he would. Better be as quiet as a mouse. Or winter wren in my case.

I examined the sleeping man before me. He looked so… non-threatening, innocent even. One of his long snowy white ears was twitching a little and I held my breath. I forgot about those, what if he heard me! Is he going to wake up? I waited some more but nothing happened. Huh. Maybe those animal ears are less sensitive than I thought?

I walked closer, observing his face. Oh, he's really handsome. When he's not scowling and he's always scowling. This really is a rare sight! Ah, but he's still wearing his glasses… what if he turns his head and damages them?

With trembling hands I reach for his glasses and put them aside, accidentally brushing his cheek with my finger. Woah, this man is freezing cold! He'll get sick like this… I loosen my cloak and carefully walked behind Peter. Gently placing the cloak on his shoulders, I sighed in relief. Much better. Now all that is left is going away without disturbing him.

I tiptoed away and closed the door softly. I took three steps away from the door and realisation hit me like a rock. I just helped Peter. PETER. He's supposed to be my enemy and I just… Ugh I'm not thinking straight. It must be because dehydration. Where is that damn kitchen?

I took five more steps before the second realisation hit me like a _ton_ of rocks. I could have used the tap in the bathroom that was linked to my guest room! NOOOO!

* * *

PETER'S POV

She's even more of an idiot than I thought. Thinking she could sneak inside without me noticing, who does she think I am?! Before she even set foot in my room I could hear her stumbling through the corridors. Even a stampede of elephants is more quiet than she was.

I acted as if I was sleeping however because I was certain she would want to kill me. Why else would she choose to stay here and work for me no less? I was nothing but hostile towards her.

And then when she would foolishly attempt to take my live, I would expose her true nature and slaughter her. She is no use to me if she isn't sticking close to that cursed clockmaker. How is he supposed to fall in love with her when she's here?

But… she didn't try to kill me.

I put my glasses on and the room became clearer. My fingers tightly gripped the cloak she had placed around me. That girl continued to confuse me. Earlier too… she hadn't said a word to the queen about how I nearly killed her and she even smiled at me!

Strange emotions I had tried to bury a long time ago resurfaced and my clock ticked away furiously.

I looked at the cloak again. Ah, the rip I caused earlier…

I should fix that.


	5. Chapter 5

Carefully inching myself further step by step, I blindly made my way to Peter's office. I huffed as my fingers trembled from the weight in my hands. This is impossible! I carried a huge stack of papers that effectively blocked my sight because of its height. But I can't complain too much, I've only bumped into someone once and that faceless helped with cleaning the mess. And I'm not far away from the office...

At least that's what I think. There's no way I could tell with this mountain of paper in front of my eyes.

I grumbled under my breath. Who am I kidding? I had been working like a dog with all the orders Peter had given me. All I heard was 'Fetch me these papers', 'Get this person', 'Deliver these'. And apparently he had no time for 'please' and 'thank you'. But it could have been worse.

After my wonderful day at the bakery, I was quite apprehensive when I arrived at the castle. After all… I did sneak into Peter's office the night before and I was stupid enough to leave my cloak there as a proof. But the minute I stepped into the office I was bombarded with orders and I had been running around ever since. The few times I was in the office, I tried to find out where my cloak was, but it was nowhere in sight. Knowing Peter, he might have burned it upon discovery. I sighed tiredly. This is more difficult than I thought…

My mission was to find out his weakness, but I had been too busy running around to get anywhere near that goal. But there were a few things I had noticed.

I had learned that Peter can boss me around while simultaneously writing stuff down. That is, if you can call it writing. The speed at which his pen flew across papers was amazing. Every time I went back to his office after doing an errand, I could see the pile of paper he was done going through had grown considerably. It seemed he hadn't been bluffing when he said five faceless were needed to do what he did in a day. His work tempo was seriously crazy.

Second thing I discovered was that he hated me so much more than I suspected. He despised me to the point he didn't want to look me in the eye if it wasn't necessary. He had never called me by my name too. That bothered me more than it should for some reason, but I wisely kept my mouth shut. I already knew he would treat me coldly, but that's alright. I'm not here to become his best friend or something.

Suddenly the weight in my arms lessened considerably as papers disappeared. Oh hey, there's a path in front of me now.

"Ahahaha, this is better don't you think, Fay?" A tall man with brown hair grinned at me while he took more than half of the stack of papers out of my hands, leaving me with a small portion.

"Now at least you can see where you're going~" He sang happily. Ah, this was the castle's knight… Ace if I remembered correctly.

"Yes, thank you very much Ace!" I smiled genuinely. I was wary of him during the meeting, but he really seemed like a funny guy.

"You're welcome! It's a knight's job to help those in need, right?"

"Oh, it's not slaying dragons and saving ladies in high towers?" I teased lightly and he laughed at that. After Peter's hostile attitude, Ace's kindness was a much needed happy change.

"Well, I _am_ saving a lady! I heard from the maids Peter had forced poor Fay into slavery, so here I am~" He sang with a cheeky grin. I chuckled at his choice of words. Yup, definitely a humorous knight.

"It's not like that, I volunteered for the job. And Peter isn't all that bad." Once you ignore his huffy comments and angry scowl.

"Eeeeh? Don't tell me… Do you have a little crush on the prime minister then?" Ace's tone turned deadly, but I was too occupied with his words to really pay attention to it.

"NO, NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT! " I seethed. How could he possibly think that? What in the world would give him that idea?!

"Who would fall in love with him? He kissed me against my will, that jerk!" I ranted but I gasped when I realised who I was talking too. I just assumed Ace and Peter weren't on friendly terms, solely because Peter insulted him at the meeting, but what if they are? Oh gosh, what if I offended him or something and-

"Oh, that's good then." The knight said simply, effectively stopping my train of thoughts.

Hmm, so they weren't friends… I stored away that little bit of information. Who knows, maybe it could be useful. I sighed deeply, embarrassed I let myself go like that in front of a complete stranger. He must think I'm mad or something.

"It's just that… I kind of respect him as a boss. Peter works really hard, you know? So - "

"Yes I work hard, unlike _you_."

I turned my head to where the dreaded voice came from and saw Peter standing at the end of the hall with his arms crossed. Shoot. He looked extremely livid.

"If you would spend your time actually doing your work instead of chitchatting with that dimwit, you could maybe achieve a tenth of what I do. But then again, I am not surprised _you_ chose to loiter around."

He turned on his heels after saying those insults and went to his office. I quickly grabbed Ace's stack of papers, bundling it with my own. Ace looked puzzled so I silently mouthed a 'sorry'. Then I dashed after Peter into his room.

Cold red eyes watched me enter and I shivered unconsciously. Oh, I'm so dead now. I nervously set down the huge amount of papers, holding my breath when it started to wobble. No no no no, please don't topple over…

Phew, it didn't fall… I'm so lucky! I looked at furious Peter then and froze. Okay, maybe I'm not so lucky.

"What are you gawking at? Divide the papers and categorise them by-"

He stopped midsentence and his long ears turned into a particular direction. Hmm, what's going on? He stood up from behind the desk and was in front of me in a flash. Peter grabbed my wrist and dragged me to the sofa. W-what the heck?

Before I could exclaim my confusion and fright, he ducked down behind the sofa. He pulled my body towards himself and twisted us both so he lay on top of me. Seeing as I was about to scream, he covered my mouth with his gloved hand while his other snaked around my waist. He was hugging me close now and his face was inches from mine. My eyes widened as his ruby ones narrowed.

My brain worked overtime to deal with all the turbulence in the past few second. What is Peter d-doing? W-w-what is going to happen with me?!


	6. Chapter 6

PETER'S POV

I covered my little assistant's body with my own, keeping us both behind the couch and out of sight from whoever walked down the hall. It was quite careless of her to leave the door open, but it could prove useful in a time like this. I felt the girl struggle beneath me and quickly put my hand over her mouth. I stared deeply in her dark eyes, hoping she would get the message and stop moving.

I sucked in a shallow breath as I realised the compromising position we were in. I could hear her sweet heartbeat so close to my ears... and it's thumping away at an alarming speed. She's panicking. Ah, I should-

No. It was not the time to concern myself with this foreigner, not when there were other problems at hand. I forced myself to focus on the imminent danger and my ears swivelled towards the doorway.

The unfamiliar deep voices that caught my attention earlier were too far away. I couldn't hear what they were talking about. All I heard were heavy footsteps, voices full of hostility and the clicking of guns. These people were no servants.

I strained my ears once again, trying to drown out the noises of my assistant's heart and focus on the conversation outside.

"…pay for it. She won't…"

"But what if.."

"… behead my sister… "

"… can't be helped. This time change…"

Ah, I see what was going to happen. Another assassination on the queen? How bothersome. They never learn, don't they? The queen was protected at all times and even without me or the knight in the neighbourhood, she could stand her own. She was trained for situation like these, as soon as she ascended the throne.

I exhaled deeply and carefully stood up as I heard the voices growing softer in the distance. Coast is clear. The small foreigner pushed herself off the ground too, using the sofa as support. She stared at me with wide eyes.

"W-what was t-that for?" she stuttered, still a little wobbly. She looked quite shaken.

Right. It's so easy to forget how insensitive human ears are. I ran a hand through my hair, my mind plotting and planning. I should go to the queen's side as quickly as possible to inform her, but maybe my little assistant can help me… She had precisely followed all my orders before, no matter how strange they were, no matter how harsh my tone was. But this could prove a rather dangerous task. How will she react this time?

"Assassins. There are assassins in the castle." I watched her nearly jump out of her skin and raised an eyebrow. She had no trouble standing in front of someone who nearly killed her, but she was scared of assassins who were out to take someone else's life. This woman baffled me.

"I will guard the queen. You. Make yourself useful and warn that idiot knight."

She turned her head frightfully to the doorway. When she looked back at me, I saw her under lip trembling. I felt a pang in my clock but chose to ignore it. Think of the only one that matters, think of Alice.

"You want… you want me to go out there? With assassins on the loose?!" If possible, her eyes widened even more. I glared at her in return.

Well, well, well. Brave enough to work for me, but too scared to leave the room? I curtly nodded, observing her every move. Her hands balled up in tiny fists and she blinked a few times. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. When the foreigner opened them, they were full of conviction.

"Okay, I'll search for Ace."

What? She was really going out there while it's dangerous? Was she insane? Anger mixed up with an unknown feeling rose inside me, but her usually perceptive eyes didn't see the change in me. She was already heading towards the doorway.

My clock sped up and my hand reached unconsciously for her arm as she turned away from me. Before she could notice my slip I retracted my hand to my side. That was close. Why… why did I want to stop her?

I watched her leave the room. Oh no… That idiot! She was going in the exact direction the voices went off to. She could run into them! She might even be foolish enough to ask the assassins where the knight was, thinking they were mere servants! I started to walk after her, but stopped myself.

What… what am I doing. This girl. I don't actually _care_ for her, right? She's just… a tool I will use to get what I want. Alice.

So what if she bumps into them and gets killed? Then I will simply find another way to ensnare my love's heart. I shouldn't care about this foreigner's welfare.

I snorted in disgust. Who would care about that strange girl who knows no logic anyway. Ah, the knight would. The image of her, smiling alongside the knave flitted through my mind. If it wasn't for my plan for her to end up with the mortician, that idiot would suit her. After all, birds of a feather flock together.

The longer I thought about the two of them, the more jealousy I felt. And it confused me. It must be because I don't want that knave to attain happiness, because I cannot be with my sweet Alice yet. It would be the only logical reason, since my assistant meant nothing to me. Ah but…

I shook my head. Once the girl found Ace, she would be fine. There was no need for this irrelevant worrying. Why was I worrying anyway… was it because I was used to an assistant already? I sighed deeply and made my way to the throne room. No matter. I needed to fulfil my role and protect the queen.

I quickened my pace and hurried down the hallway. I passed some concerned servants but ignored them. Those assassins… from the words I heard I could conclude they wanted to kill the queen in revenge for a beheading. The fact that they were in the castle, passed the guards, meant they had help from inside. I had to observe all the servants from now on. Ah, I could already feel a headache coming…

I opened the door deftly but froze at the sight before me.

"Oh, hello Mr. Peter! Coming to visit the queen too?" The knight was standing beside Vivaldi, the stupidest grin marking his face.

"And it's about time! We heard from the knight you hired Fay? Why didn't you feel the need to inform us, White? We shall have your head on a stake if you chose to do something similar in the future." The queen, sitting on her throne, was tapping her foot impatiently.

No. If this idiot is _here_, and she's _there_…

"Assassins!" I spat, before turning on my heels and running at full speed in the direction that foreigner went off to. I shoved the faceless away that were blocking my path as my clock ticked furiously. I tried to catch the sound of her heartbeat, her beautiful voice, of _anything_ related to her… But to no avail.

Until I heard her screaming. My clock nearly stopped.

Hearing the fearful sound, I exerted my legs to the fullest, channelling all my energy to my limbs. I felt anxiety rule me, consume me.

I'm not… Not fast enough! No, I must-

F-Fay!


	7. Chapter 7

Trying to make my footsteps as quiet as possible, I began searching for Ace. In a giant castle, with assassins somewhere. Yeah, not my favourite thing to do. Out of all tasks Peter had given me, this was hands down the worst.

But what else could I do? Peter looked at me as if he just might offer me on a plate to the assassins himself if I didn't hurry up and did as he said. Geez, the tension in his office was unbearable! What kind of boss expects his employee to do _this_, huh? Seriously, I should be crowned employee of the month for hunting down that knight in a life threatening situation.

I sighed deeply. Even though I was a bundle of nerves right now, I knew I had to do this. I couldn't deny that. I might not be on the same level of intelligence as Peter was, which he likes to point out every second or so, but even I could see this was the best plan. Vivaldi was in danger and the only one who could protect her was the prime minister. And who else was available to call for backup besides me?

And to be completely honest, I would feel more at ease in this situation if Ace was here with me.

Which he was not. Where did that knave go? I was positive he went this way earlier…

I slowed my pace a little when I heard voices around the corner. Hmm?

"… but do you have a plan B? We can't really do anything now with that knight so close. Remember how the boss attacked him with dozens of our mates? He slaughtered them all in a blink of an eye, smiling the whole time. Creepy b******. We should've brought the explosives like you suggested." A deep voice rumbled.

My brow furrowed as my heart sped up. Attack? Explosives? I slammed a hand over my nose and mouth, minimalizing all breathing sounds I made. Within a second I knew that whoever was a short distance away from me, meant trouble. Big trouble. This can't be true… instead of Ace, the first people I find are the assassins? Oh my gosh.

I flattened myself against the wall, behind an ornamented china vase. I covered my heart with my other hand, praying desperately my stupid heart wouldn't be as loud as I thought it was.

Okay, Fay, now is not the time to panic and run aimlessly around like a beheaded chicken. Remember what Casper told you: in cases of fright it should be either fight or flight. I looked at my pathetic weak hands and linked that to the conversation about _explosives_.

…

Definitely flight.

Now all I need to do is sneak out here and-

"Shaddup will ya? We could just kill that rabbit. He shot my uncle a few time changes ago and I've been wantin' some revenge lately… I say he needs a bullet through his clock! Now are ya with me or not?"

Killing P-peter? Oh my gosh, that's not good I should warn- WAIT WHY AM I WORRIED ABOUT HIM? If they want Peter dead, then they need to get passed this hall to his office… They'll see me if I don't get out of here quickly! As in _now_!

Just as I was about to dash away, one of the vase's jutted decorations got caught in my belt loop. Why me?! Oh no no no no!

I clasped the wretched thing before it could fall, but I couldn't prevent myself from whimpering. Dang this too expensive thing is heavy! I hastily put the vase back, praying those men didn't notice my-

"Haaa… look what I've found! That new little foreigner. Ya didn't struck me as the nosy type." A tall man with dark clothes grinned maliciously and wagged his finger in front of me. "Tsk tsk tsk. You heard somethin' we said darlin'?" He beckoned the second male closer, who was just as burly as he was.

I frantically shook my head, unable to say anything. I took a few steps back, but the two men in front of me just followed, like predators stalking prey. I analysed them as best as I could giving the situation. The man who spoke didn't seem to have weapons in easy reach, his friend though… His right hand was reaching for something in his pocket.

"No? Good, good… But just to be sure, we're gonna kill ya anyway. Nothin' personal and we'll do it real quiet. You see, the dead tell no tales."

He gestured to his accomplice with a snap of his fingers. The second man revealed a small knife and threw it at me with deadly precision. I managed to duck out of the way in time but it still managed to skim my shoulder. I disregarded the pain and opted to run away as fast as I could.

A large hand crunched my injured shoulder just as I was about to turn away from them and I screamed in pain. That freaking hurts!

"H-Help m-" I started to shout, but the touch of a cool metal against my neck stopped me.

"Shhh… no need for screamin', gal." The assassin put the smallest of pressures on my neck with sharp edge of the knife and I felt a small stream of blood spilling on my collarbones.

I closed my eyes in fear, pleading for my life with incoherent mutterings between broken sobs. I heard the first man chuckle in response. Is this how I'm going to die?

I expected the knife to slice me deeper, so it surprised me when I felt its presence disappear entirely. W-what? Before I could open my eyes, two strong arms pulled me towards a body, away from my would-be murderers. This is…

Peter pressed my head in his chest with his left hand, while he pointed his gun at the two men with his other hand.

"Don't look." He whispered in my ear. I obliged willingly and held on to his jacket with a death grip. I concentrated on the steady tick of his clock and braced myself. I knew how this was going to end...

BANG BANG

I flinched from the loud sound, as well as from the agonising screams the two released. He just- he just… ? I took in quick shallow breaths to cope with what was going on, burying myself deeper in Peter's embrace. Peter tried to loosen my hold, but I refused to let go, sniffling in his jacket. I heard him sigh deeply and the next moment I was being carried by him.

"Let's go to a safer place and look at that wound." He said softly and for once his voice was soothing. All I could do was nod my head. Somehow he understood and began to walk away from the scene swiftly.

I tried to avert my gaze, I honestly did. But I still caught a glimpse of a lifeless arm amidst the large pools of blood on the ground. Not far away from that arm lay the knife…

I hurriedly turned my head away, focusing on Peter rather than… _that_. Small droplets of sweat clung to his forehead and his breathing was laboured. Could it be that he… ran all the way to save me? No that's impossible, right?

But as I tried to decipher the emotion in his ruby eyes, all I could see was concern.

* * *

**Author: sorry for the long wait, but I have these horrible things called exams (pam pam pam). For everyone who has the same problem right now, GOOD LUCK. I now the feel .**


	8. Chapter 8

The sharp pain took me by surprise, because all my attention had been stolen by the gloved hand that cupped my cheek, angling my head in a certain way.

"O-ouch…" I winced. How can this treatment be even more painful than receiving the actual wound? But at least this is good pain, if something like 'good pain' even existed.

"I warned you it would sting." Peter said while applying a thin layer of an antibiotic cream on the wound on my neck. He had cleaned the cut with water earlier and I had been relieved to hear it looked worse than it really was. It wasn't a serious wound, but Peter had insisted on treating it to prevent infection.

So here I was, seated on the sofa in Peter's office with the prime minister in front of me and various medical supplies on the coffee table. Different kinds of antibiotics, band aids, cotton swabs… Most of it were the ordinary stuff one would find in a first aid kit, but there were also instruments I could not name precisely. Are those… special tweezers for ticks? And there was that weird bulky thing too. A splint maybe?

It's no surprise Peter had a vast collection of health care supplies, since he had such an aversion to germs, dust and everything that was the opposite of _clean_ it seemed. I mean, look at his office. Not a speck of dust in sight.

What _had_ been surprising however, was the way he treated me. No snappy words, no scowl, no insults. No happy smiles either, but still… His touches had been so gentle. Nothing like you'd expect from someone who had been trying to kill you some time changes ago! But _why_ did his attitude change?

Was it because he saw my wound and the urge to battle bacteria became stronger than the need to treat me like crap? No… when a maid with a tiny paper cut handed him some documents earlier, he nearly shot her.

Another theory was that he was acting. Either his usual grumpy self was a façade, or he was acting right now. If he _was_ acting now, was he trying to trick me? No I couldn't believe that… At all times, Peter was true to himself. I was positive he wasn't feigning anything.

Then was this something else? What if… Alice's words rang through my head.

_"After I chose to be with Julius, Peter's changed for the worse."_

Oooh! Was this how Peter used to be? Or more plausible, was I catching glimpses of his old self? Maybe the man before me was somewhere in between the ready-to-shoot-you-dead Peter I knew, and the Peter that Alice knew… But why would he slowly change his attitude? I mean, if Alice was the reason he changed in the first place, what could possibly have happened _now_ for him to alter again…

Now that I thought about it, I knew nothing about Peter's past, only that he loved and still loves Alice. How did he act around Alice? Hmmm…

Before, it would be impossible for me to imagine this cold man loving anybody, but now with his warm hand cupping my cheek… I wonder what Peter would look like if he smiled…

Before my mind could drift off to thoughts I didn't want nor need, I focused on the rabbit before me. Okay, time to observe and conclude. First of all, his attitude is neutral towards me and he hadn't put a gun against my head yet, even though a few blood drops landed on the carpet. That's new, but why?

Ugh, my mind was going in circles. Right, think about something else then.

His touches are gentle, so _if _my assumption was right, then… Peter wasn't one to shy away from physical contact. On the contrary, the moment he saved me, there hadn't been one second he wasn't touching me. Whether he was holding me steady, brushing away stray hairs, angling my head… one way or another, his hands were on my skin.

I was sure it was just me being oversensitive about things and maybe another person wouldn't have noticed, since they were all feather light touches. And of course his actions were necessary for the treatment. But still! I had never been comfortable with people who were all touchy feely and invaded my personal space.

And now this happens! That cat aside, Peter was the last role-holder I expected to touch me so softly and to be honest, it was driving me crazy… and I- I kind of l-l-liked it? W-what?

Gosh, I must be blushing. So embarrassing! To get overwhelmed by someone like Peter… He's my enemy for goodness' sake! Right? ... R-right?

_Peter pressed my head in his chest with his left hand, while he pointed his gun at the two men with his other hand. "Don't look." He whispered in my ear._

_I heard him sigh deeply and the next moment I was carried by him. "Let's go to a safer place and look at that wound."_

Peter he…

Is confusing the heck out of me.

I snapped out of my thoughts as I felt him move. Peter gently forced my head to turn away so he could examine my neck one last time. Without saying a word he began to cover the wound with what I recognised was a sterile gauze pad. He then gazed at my shoulder.

"Your shirt's in the way." He said simply, yet my heart did little flips. He wasn't implying that I should strip right? Oooooh no, ooooooh no, sir! I'm not-

Before I could say anything, Peter walked over to his desk to retrieve something out of the drawers. He then threw something dark my way and I barely caught it. Hey! Isn't this… my cloak? It was washed and stitched at the place it was ripped earlier. Did he-?

"Undress and cover yourself with that."

I was about to open my mouth to ask a thousand questions but his back was turned to me already.

"I don't have all day long." He said with a slight hint of impatience. Right.

I checked one last time if he really wasn't peeking before carefully pulling my shirt over my head. Slowly, slowly now… Ouch! My shoulder hurts!

But hey, at least I'm not dead.

Hmm… my bra strap had also become that knife's victim. No more than a small thread was keeping it together. That's practically useless now. And my shirt was even worse with all those bloodstains! Guess it's a trip to the shops then. I couldn't keep on accepting the clothes Vivaldi gave me anyway.

I carefully clicked the strap open and left the rest intact. No way am I going to strip completely, this will do just fine. No for my cloak…

The moment I reached for it, the door opened with a loud bang, revealing Ace in the doorway. With the speed of lightning I covered my front with my cloak as best as I could. After the initial panic died away, irritation replaced it.

DOES THAT GUY NOT KNOW HOW TO KNOCK OR SOMETHING?

Like nothing had happened the knight strutted inside with a huge smile plastered on his face. Oh how I want to punch that smile-

"Heya Mr Peter and Fay! I was just checking every room for the assassins, but what a surprise seeing you two here~ Oooh! Wait what's this? Am I interrupting something?"

"WAH NO WHU NOO-"

"Actually, you have perfect timing. Patch her up, I'll take your job from here." Peter ignored my panicky shouting and began to walk away. Before I could stop myself I took hold of his sleeve.

Don't go, stay please. Wait.

I gritted my teeth to keep myself from saying the illogical thoughts out loud and looked in his cold eyes. He's… the same old Peter now. Why?

And why the heck did I have those thoughts?

"What do you want?" Harsh words. Curt, rude and… painful. My heart thumped uncomfortably.

"Ah, uhm… I just- uhm… Thank you?"

The coldness left his eyes temporarily and he nodded. Then he left. Just like that.

"What's gotten into him?" Ace said while staring after the rabbit. "Oh well, not that I care!" He turned to me with a mischievous smile. Uh oh.

"Now Doctor Ace will examine you _thoroughly_~"


	9. Chapter 9

"… and I just can't understand him. I wish I could borrow your mind reading ability for a day or something." I sighed. I fumbled around with the edge of the dress I recently bought, a newly created habit I had whenever I felt frustrated.

It had been a couple of time periods since the incident with the assassins and I was currently in the Tower, seeking advice from Nightmare. He had been patiently listening to my troubles from under the bed, while I sat on a chair across the room. Yes, under the bed, since he was hiding from his subordinate. He was laying on his stomach with his head resting on his arms, his eye fleeing to the door every minute or so to read a nearby mind. I nearly spend all my days off here, so I was accustomed to the sight. It didn't make it any less silly though. A grown man, hiding from paperwork…

"Hey! You're thinking off topic! Fay, you don't know my pain… Paperwork is truly evil, I tell you… Do you know how many people die of paperwork every day? Well? Too many~" Nightmare wailed. Oh for the love of all… I might just call for Gray himself if he-

"NO, NO, nooo! No need for that, Fay!" Nightmare nervously laughed. "Rather, explain to me how he acts in more detail!" I rolled my eyes at his request, knowing fully well he was just trying to appease me. Yet I felt myself falling for his sad puppy eye and quivering under lip. Oh, might as well go with it.

Peter had gone back to who he was before. No signs of the gentle Peter anymore, just the usual moody rabbit. Maybe it was the adrenaline that clouded my judgement at that time? But then again, his body language showed me he let himself relax since than… Or was that just wishful thinking? No seriously, I was beginning to doubt myself. Too many unanswered questions swirled in my thoughts and I fiddled with my dress again.

I would have doubted the whole thing ever happened if it wasn't for two things.

One: the now almost fading scars on my neck and shoulder. Thanks to Peter's excellent treatment, the one on my neck is just a thin pink line now.

Two: Ace. That stupid knight teased me mercilessly whenever I saw him about that time I kicked him out of the room after his – _ahum_ – comment. Saying how I was 'dirty minded' and that he 'was only doing something any gentleman would do' and that I should have trusted him because he was acting as 'a doctor at that time'. Yeah right. Any girl who was in my position – half naked with some suspicious bloke in front of you – would do the same as I did.

"Yes, it was wise decision." Nightmare nodded grimly. "There's no knowing what that knave would have done… Now as for Peter White, I have a theory of what might be going on. However, I can't share it with you yet because at the moment it's just a theory. But it's safe to say that you don't have to fear for your life anymore. He's not the type to go rescue people he doesn't care about."

I raised my eyebrow at his vague words, before deeply sighing.

"You know, if you're trying to act all mysterious then I suggest you don't hide under a bed while you're talking to someone." I deadpanned before thinking over his words. Wait… did Peter care about me? That seemed highly unlikely. But if Nightmare says so…

"Yes, FINALLY someone who recognises my magnificence, my importance!"

"Yes, yes… oh high and mighty demon." I snickered. Nightmare's funny, I'll give him that. Whenever I was down, he managed to lift up my spirits in no time. Nightmare laughed quietly with me.

"You're welcome, Fay. It's actually quite easy to cheer you up! The rest of you puzzles me though. How can you be so cautious and at the same time so…"

"…careless?"

"I was thinking more of impulsive." He grinned. Huh, good question. I hummed a random tune while thinking of a way to explain.

"It's in my blood, I think. Birds need to be impulsive, otherwise they never learn to fly. There are rarely any other animals that would take such a leap of faith, with plummeting to death as one of the consequences. With birds, instincts take over and we just _act_ on it, I guess."

I had to learn to hard way how to harness the urge to follow whatever my heart tells me to do. After years of being on the run I knew now to think before I act. Hence the caution. Although nowadays I tend to forget that…

"Tell me about it. I almost had a clock attack when you decided to stay at the Castle after getting yourself nearly killed by the prime minister!" I nodded absentmindedly. That event seemed ages ago.

The sunrays that suddenly kissed my skin through the large windows made me stop my thoughts. Oh so it's 'afternoon' now, huh? Hmmm…

I reached into my pocket for the little vial and held it against the light. The few drops of liquid inside shone beautifully and I lightly tilted the bottle to examine it. It wasn't like I cared in particular because I won't leave this world, but… Shouldn't there be more of that stuff now? So strange…

"Well, you haven't exactly bonded with everybody, now have you? The amusement park, the Hatter mansion…"

I winced at his words, feeling chills when my mind immediately jumped on the thought of a certain feline. No, I hadn't visited them yet. With that cat around, there's no way I will set foot in the amusement park and I'm not getting anywhere near Blood. Live-in-maid, huh… No, just no. Mr. Smirk fitted the description of 'womaniser' like a glove and that was definitely the type I should avoid.

But, surprisingly… Elliot had become a good acquaintance of mine. It turned out he was one of Roberto's regular customers and the bakery's number one buyer of our carrot cakes. Who knew a member of the mafia had such a sweet tooth! I feel a little guilty for doing this, but whenever Elliot asked me to visit the Hatters I would stir the conversation back to carrot pies and muffins.

But Elliot was so cheerful, always whistling and smiling… like the complete opposite of another rabbit I knew. Ah, but Roberto made sure that I had to swear I never called Elliot a rabbit for some unknown reason.

"And the baker has every reason to, Fay. Do not call him a rabbit. Ever. Or else bullets will fly…"

"…Alright?" My words turned doubtful when I saw Nightmare suddenly stiffen. Ooooh… I know that face full of terror. Gray.

Nightmare immediately crawled further away and out of my sight. That's… not going to help, my friend. I rose from my seat and made my way to the door. I decided long ago, when it came to Nightmare's daily hide-and-seek games, I would be a neutral bystander. I wouldn't inform Gray, but wouldn't stop him either.

The moment I opened the door I faced the lizard himself. Poor man, he looked stressed out. His eyes lightened up when he saw me though and he quickly scanned me up and down. Huh, is he blushing?

"Ah, hello Fay. I didn't know you were visiting. That dress is… uhm…nice."

"Ha! Liar! You think she looks adorable!" Nightmare shouted in triumph before I heard him gasp audibly.

Oh Nightmare, who's impulsive now? You just sealed your own fate.

"Well, he's all yours Gray." I said as I stepped aside. He nodded gratefully and dragged Nightmare out from under the bed.

"Fay you traitor! How could you!"

I rolled my eyes and waved away his glares. You clearly did this to yourself Nightmare.

"I'm truly sorry for this, Fay. Nightmare's _far_ behind schedule, so I'm afraid I'll have to lock him up in his office again." Gray said exhausted.

"That's alright, I was about to head back to the Castle anyway! Vivaldi wanted to talk to me about something. But… you hang in there, okay?" I said while I petted his right arm. His other was currently wound around the dream demon who looked like he lost his soul.

After I said my goodbyes, I went back home. I wonder what Vivaldi wanted to talk about?

* * *

**Author: last... exam is... Friday... UGH I'M EXHAUSTED. But I'll update more after that :D**


	10. Chapter 10

As I neared the Castle of Hearts, several guards approached me hurriedly. Even though they didn't have faces, somehow I knew that they were desperate. I slowed my gait, a little alarmed. Was something wrong?

"Ah, miss Fay! You have to come quickly! The queen... she's on a rampage and beheading everybody who gets near her... Even the king cannot calm her down. We fear that the Castle will be short in staff if this continues!"

What? They didn't care that their own lives were at jeopardy? Well I care! Of course I would like to help when my actions could save others, but… I liked my head to be attached to my body, thank you very much. Give me roaring tigers, give me carnivorous man eating plants, give me two thousand hours of mandatory lessons about politics, _just not an angry Vivaldi!_ The queen was the last woman in Wonderland I would want mess with. She wanted to behead a maid for a freaking teaspoon before! If her own husband couldn't pacify her, then what did they expect me to do?

"I'm sorry but I can't calm her down, she'll have me killed too!"

The guards looked at each other for a moment, conveying some sort of secret message. Then they all moved in unison, two behind me, blocking my path to escape, and two next to me, gripping me by my elbows and moving me forward.

WHAT. I had never, _never_, been forced to do something like this. All castle servants were polite and all smiles to the extreme. And now they make me do this? Just how desperate are they? This… this does not bode well.

"We are terribly sorry, miss Fay, but I'm afraid we have no choice. At this rate even the king's life is in danger… Ah, but you have nothing to worry about, I'm almost sure!" The others mumbled in agreement, hurrying their pace once we entered the castle.

A-a-almost sure?! Very reassuring. Oh dear…

"Where are Peter and Ace?" I asked, holding on to the last bit of hope I was harbouring. We rushed through the hallways and I flinched as I saw the unfamiliar dark entities crouching near the walls. Afterimages? In the castle…? Not good. Not good at all.

"Sir Ace's whereabouts are currently unknown…" Translation: the idiot knight got lost. How convenient. "… and the prime minister wanted to visit Miss Alice." Oh... Okay?

A strange feeling prickled my heart and my head dully ached. Hmm, strange… It must be because I was concerned for her. Or was I feeling irritated that Peter chose the worst moment to leave the castle… Either way, I shouldn't concern me at the moment, right? I should focus on other matters for now.

Like the queen. We could already hear her vicious commands even though we were so far away. Oh, I do NOT want to open that door and see what-

The guard on my left opened the cursed door and shoved me inside, whispering more sincere apologies I couldn't answer. I sucked in a startled breath as I scanned the room. Vivaldi emitted an aura of death, trembling servants at her side, a king in tears… Her sharp hawk like eyes rooted me to the ground and it took me a while to shake off my fright.

"H-hello, Vivaldi…" Okay who was I kidding, I was scared soulless. "… y-you, uhm, wanted to see me? In the, uhh, afternoon?"

"We are presently not in the mood for what we had planned." The royal snapped. But apparently she _was _in the mood to reduce her staff greatly. I watched the remaining servants shaking like twigs and the need to protect arose. I needed to do something for them!

"Oh… uhm, that's a… pity? Yeah, it's really a pity! I have been looking forward to spend time with you, because uhh…" This was downright bootlicking, but in this short amount of time there was nothing else I could think of.

"Yes?" Vivaldi questioned. Shoot. I couldn't tell from her tone whether she approved my reaction or not. Oh and now I had to think of something...

"… because uh, I wanted to talk to you about something." Yeah, way to go Fay. Postpone your troubles.

Vivaldi raised a dainty eyebrow, but smiled otherwise. Phew! Safe and sound! Or… not? The twinkle in her eyes were far too suspicious for my taste. Did she just… misunderstand something?

"We understand. We were quite unhappy about the fact Alice hasn't visited us in a while, preferring the company of the boring mortician over _us_, but we are overjoyed to hear you have finally decided to confide in us." Vivaldi rose from her seat and walked over to me, the perfect picture of an elegant royal, not a goddess of death. All servants around her seemed to turn into a puddle of relief with the change in the queen's mood. Even I could not help but sigh in ease. So today was not the day I would become headless Fay~ Yaaay! Well that's a-

Wait. Did she say confide? What? The earlier suspicion crept on me. But I had no chance to ask anything as she rushed me out of the room. Oh look who's happy now… She's practically glowing. What in the world was she thinking about?

"We know that it was a difficult decision for someone with a pure maiden's heart like you, Fay, but we wish you could have told us earlier." She lightly reprimanded while dragging me to a part of the castle I had never been before. There were no servants following us too… Oho.

"Of course we will discuss all your lovely feelings discreetly, that's why we will take you to our most secret room and show you our private collection while we're at it. Be honoured. And don't worry, all will stay between us women."

"F-Feelings? Vivaldi…"

"Shush my dear! You may thank us generously later."

Then she took me to a room that left me speechless.

Stuffed animals.

Stuffed animals _everywhere_. Who knew the cold and haughty queen had a doll collection? Vivaldi locked the door, grabbed a nearby teddy bear and sat down in the middle with an almost childish gleam.

"Well, what do you think? Aren't these the cutest animals you have ever seen?" Vivaldi smiled and waved the teddy's paw at me. I grinned back, happy to see Vivaldi had an innocent side to her after all those beheadings. A toy collection! And here I was, thinking I would get my death sentence.

"Yes! It's very impressive! I've never seen so many cute stuffed animals in one room before! May I see them?"

After an energetic nod I took a moment to look around. Wow, they were really adorable! Aaaw, a little whale! So cute… And oh, was that a platypus? I didn't know they made stuffed platypuses. I reached out my hand to touch the most charming giraffe next to it, but stopped as another animal caught my eye.

The cutest white bunny sat there in the corner, with a red jacket and tie. That's… by far the most adorable thing in Wonderland, without a doubt. Ah, but it shared a resemblance with-

"Aha! We knew it!" Vivaldi clapped in her hands, a satisfied smirk playing on her full red lips. She grabbed the bunny and shoved it in my arms. Oh, it was velvety soft too… I stroked its ears delicately, while keeping an eye on the queen.

"Those foolish maids were doubting us, but our intuition is _never_ wrong." She lifted her chin up proudly, then cuddled with her teddy bear.

"Maids? Vivaldi, I don't understand what you are talking about…"

"Well since you were so hesitant about talking to us about it, we talked about it with the maids. We forgive you for not telling us. Fear not, you have our approval."

"Approval of what?"

"Your love for Peter of course!"

"LOVE?!"


	11. Chapter 11

"LOVE?!"

Love? Love. Love!

No matter how many times I repeated the word inside my head, I just could NOT figure out how Vivaldi managed to get the impression I'm in love with Peter. This is _Peter_ we're talking about, the one that almost murdered me? Oh wait, Vivaldi didn't know about that. But she still witnessed how Peter treated me like utter crap the whole time, so how could she say this?

I opened my mouth several times, but I just couldn't think of the right answer. Oh, my bad, I meant the polite answer. The right answer would be 'Are you crazy?', but saying that to a queen that loved to see people's head get chopped off wouldn't result in anything nice. So I dropped the bunny and kept on acting like a goldfish.

"Oh my, we made you speechless! How cute." Vivaldi squealed after a while. She scooted closer to inspect my dumbfounded expression and blank stare. "Hmm… but we didn't think it would be that much of a shock."

"Whaaa? Whu… Viv- OF COURSE I'M SHOCKED!" I shouted. Okay, to hell with being kind, reserved and well you know, lady-like. After my outburst Vivaldi just looked at me with a knowing smile and an almost motherly air around her. She even patted my head! I gritted my teeth to hide my annoyance, letting the monarch's actions slide. Okay Fay, breathe. The fact that she's treating me like a toddler was not important, first I needed answers. I inhaled deeply, arranging all my jumbled thoughts, then put my hands on her shoulders to get her attention.

"Vivaldi…Vivaldi listen. You need to understand this. I _do not_ love Peter. No love, no like, no crush, nothing." I relaxed my shoulders as soon as I got that off of my chest. "Now… How in the world did you get to that conclusion?"

"But you _do_ love him, silly Fay. You work for him, even though he isn't kind to you. And we can see the secret glances you steal every now and then. Also, you immediately wanted this." She pushed the bunny back into my arms in triumph, obviously satisfied with her detective skills.

"S-Secret what?! No, no, it's nothing like that!" I didn't do that, right? No, of course not. I mean, I have been keeping an eye on him in case he does something that would hurt either Alice or me. That was all there was to it.

"… I was just being careful. He can be so angry sometimes… How can I fall in love with someone so cruel anyway." I muttered. Someone who's words were harsh, who's attitude was cold. Someone who… helped me when I needed help the most, even though he hated me.

I sighed again remembering the gentle touches of his fingertips on my skin. He was… someone who confused the heck out of me. And not in a good way.

Vivaldi's eyes twinkled kindly as she observed my inner turmoil and cupped my cheeks softly.

"Love is mysterious indeed. It doesn't always work the way it does in fairy tales, dear Fay." She saw I was about to protest again and held up one finger to silence me. "But we see you are still in the denial phase. Very well, to appease you we will believe that you do not love Peter."

I groaned in defeat as I buried my face in the stuffed bunny. She still didn't get it. Pretending you didn't believe your own theory was worse than exclaiming it to entire Wonderland. Oh wait she did that too! I didn't even want to think about all those maids gossiping about it right now. Oh the embarrassment… Was that why they seemed more bubbly today?

Wait. Hoooold up. I snapped my head up in fright, startling the royal in front of me.

"Please, please tell me you're not planning to… you know?"

"Speak clearly."

"… You're not going to act like some sort of Cupid right? Please Vivaldi, no match making!" The image of a blind date with Peter flashed before me. Oh the horror. I wouldn't survive one second. No wait, I wouldn't _want_ to survive past that one second, because every second after that would be pure torture.

"We will do no such thing." I slumped down in relief, hugging the bunny unconsciously. I just escaped death! Phew~ I looked up to smile at Vivaldi, but my smile froze. Why… why was she looking at me with such pity?

"Peter… right now, all he sees is Alice. We wish it was different for you…"

"No, no I know that! And that's okay, because _I do not love him_. Not even a little." I vehemently declare.

"Yes, yes, you told us." Vivaldi said absentmindedly. She pondered while tapping her pointer finger to her chin. What? Had she not been listening? What the heck!

"We had been planning to hold a ball soon… It would be the perfect opportunity for you to show those useless men what they have been missing out on."

"No, no, noooo! Good gosh no! Vivaldi, I know you mean well, but this…" Balls were magical events that happened in fairy tales and faraway palaces! I was raised as a simple villager and didn't know anything about balls besides the fact that it was meant for the rich and the famous. Dancing… Oh my god, I didn't know how to dance. And walking on high heels… the one time I did that, Casper told me I looked like Bambi walking on ice. Ballroom dancing coupled with high heels would make me into a walking disaster.

Vivaldi held up her nose snobbishly. "It's not just for you! We simply feel the need to throw a ball." She put the teddy bear back on its place and began to stand up. "Now we will inform the king and our servants, you may join us if you will."

I scrambled after her desperately thinking of excuses NOT to attend that event. But going against the queen could prove fatal. Okay… must think of something, fast!

"… Cake…?" If this will work… I will treat myself to a shopping day.

"Excuse us?"

"I work at a bakery, right? We could provide cakes and such."

"Hmm, yes. We heard that faceless was the best baker in town. We approve of your plan." She turned around and continued walking. Okay step one completed.

"NO WAIT! Uh eh I mean… Roberto has an incredible network too. Maybe I could… see if I get the other shop owners to help out as well. In a way that benefits both parties of course."

"You're beating around the bush again, aren't you?" Vivaldi asked unimpressed. Dang it. Why couldn't I do anything smoothly like people always do in books. I sighed deeply as I followed the queen to the hallway.

"How should I put it… Uhm, I want to help the head of catering if you don't mind? And Peter won't mind if I put my job as his assistant on a hold for a little while to help you with the ball." At least I think.

Vivaldi turned around to face me fully, inspecting me for a good two minutes. Did I… say something wrong? The second I felt I was going to take all my words back, Vivaldi lit up a smile.

"We are delighted your thoughts about the ball are more positive now. If you are so willing to help us, then we won't stop you. We will inform our chef you will be helping him." After a short nod she opened one of the doors and beckoned for a maid.

"Thank you!" Only in a world this crazy, would a queen take my awkward request. And by doing so unknowingly giving me an excuse to ditch the ball. After all, I need to be in the kitchen helping the chef right? Oh, I want to laugh diabolically so bad. It would be the best 'muawhahaha's' out of 'muawhahaha's'. And then I would-

"Fay dear, you do realise your still holding on to that bunny? … We don't mind, you may keep it."

What.


	12. Chapter 12

"Drats" I muttered as I let the wind blow a few papers from the pile I was holding. I hurried to catch them mid-air and did a little victory dance afterwards. Oh ho hooo! Oh wind, you thought you could defeat me, eh?

Almost in response to my childish thoughts, the wind suddenly picked up making the papers nearly fly away again. I speed walked to the open window, my shoes making faint clicking noises on the Castle hallway's tiles. There! All closed and well. Who left it open any… way…

My mind drifted off as I saw the scene blow me. From this place I could see the entrance perfectly, but that wasn't what caught my eye. Shouldn't there be at least two guards at all times? Then how come there was only one now? And more importantly who was he talk-

I immediately ducked down as soon as one of them looked in my direction and hid out of their sight. Weird… Why did I have the overpowering need to hide? It wasn't like I was doing something sneaky…

I sighed deeply and stood up. What was I doing really, acting like a burglar and all. I continued my walk but could help peeking out the window out of the corner of my eye. Huh? The unknown stranger was gone and now only that one guard was present. And he had 'shady' written all over him.

"Heya, Fay! What are you doing?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin as I heard the knight behind me and turned around. He was innocently smiling as usual, but his clothes alarmed me. Large stains of blood covered his coat. I quickly searched his face for any indication of pain but found none.

"A-Ace… that blood…"

"Ah, it's not mine." Ace said cheerily. I looked up to him distrustfully and eyed the stains again. We'll see about that. I carefully poked the places that were covered in red, until a gloved hand effulged mine.

"Oooooh~ I see why you didn't let doctor Ace help you last time! It was because you wanted to be doctor instead. Or maybe a nurse? Either way is fine by me, so please treat me~"

"NO, you airhead!" I slipped my hand away from his and flicked his forehead. To think I was actually concerned about him. Of course I shouldn't be worried, this _is_ the infamous Knight of Hearts. I turned my back on him, thoroughly humiliated by both his comment and my behaviour. I rested my head on the cool window, trying to lessen the blush that was inevitably dusting my cheeks.

Hmm? Now the guard was gone too.

"Hey Ace? Shouldn't there be guards at the entrance?"

Ace peered over my head and hummed in agreement.

"Yep! I better check it out. Thanks Fay."

I wanted to answer him, but he was already rounded the corner while whistling a merry tune. Oh wait, shouldn't I go with him? Knowing _Ace_ he would definitely get lost. But then again, he was walking in the right direction this time…

Plus I had better things to do. Like the load of work I had brought upon myself. I glared at the stack of papers in my arms and once again continued my journey to Peter's office.

I had spent the last few time changes going from shop to shop to collect all the information I needed, including pricelists, quality, amount of staff, recommendations, extra services and so on and so on. Now all I needed to do was compare all the shops and their products and then figure out what the best possible deals were.

But before that I had to inform Peter I wouldn't be working as his assistant for a while, since this would take all my attention. As I stood before his office's door, I felt my courage sink but knocked on the door anyways. Everything was going to turn out fine. If it was for the queen, he won't get angry. Probably.

I hesitantly opened the door after I heard his distinctive 'come in' – short and with a flair of annoyance – and prepared myself for the avalanche of orders I usually get right after I step inside his office. Peter, however, didn't look up from his work and carried on writing at an impossible speed. Oh, that's new?

Feeling out of my element, I silently closed the door to buy myself some time. So… how was I going to break the news that I –

"The queen notified me that you will help with the preparations of the ball, correct?"

"Uhm, yes…" I wasn't sure what I was feeling. Thankful for Vivaldi that she told him already, or amazed that Peter could write and talk at the same time. Such a lover of multitasking…

"What are you planning to do?"

"I need to make some calculations first… afterwards I will join the chef to town. We will taste all products ourselves to inspect the quality and then negotiate with the shop owners about the price."

Peter finally looked up to me and stared at me for a good long minute. What the… why wasn't he saying anything? The prolonged silence between us felt heavier than any sound I have heard and I swear I felt myself shrinking under his gaze.

After what seemed like an eternity, Peter picked up his pen and resumed his work. What the heck did that mean? Did I say something strange, was he ignoring me or-

"You may work over there." He nodded slightly in the direction of the coffee table, disregarding my shocked face. Did Peter White just offered me a place to work _in his office_? As in… _the_ Peter White? The one and only? Did Wonderland just turn upside down or something…

"Don't make me repeat myself."

"N-n-no of course not! Thank you, P-Peter."

* * *

PETER'S POV

I watched her stretch her arms in the corner of my eye and look out of the window. She had been working for hours straight, never taking a break. 'Some calculations', huh? It had me curious…

She then began to gather her papers, indicating she was about to leave.

"If you're going to leave, leave the papers here."

I watched her visibly flinch and mutter a quiet thank you. I raised an eyebrow at her flustered state. What? She thought I wouldn't notice the loud shuffling of papers? This clueless girl…

Before she left the room she turned around and smiled timidly. Her eyes met mine for a fraction of a second, before they roamed the office restlessly. She was probably looking for something to say. That girl really was like an open book at all times.

"Thank you once again. Uhm… I'll be back soon?" She finished lamely and then rushed outside, not waiting for my response.

My ears followed the sounds she made in the hallway and when I was sure she was far away enough I moved to the coffee table. Let's see what you have been up too…

I picked up one of the papers, examining her tiny handwriting. It wasn't as neat and cursive as mine of course, but also not as messy as I expected it to be. The page was covered in calculations and as I went through the other papers I discovered that they were pretty much all the same. She even went so far as to draw graphs on some of them.

…

I would lie if I would say that I wasn't impressed by her seriousness and dedication. And that disappointed me somehow.

I scanned the last piece of paper; a list of products. She was going to sample these, together with the chef… I inhaled sharply as I saw the bottom of the list. Don't tell me she's going to taste _those_ as well…

I lowered the paper back on the stack and slumped down on the sofa. Of course she would. If she's that serious about this task then she will taste them.

There was absolutely no way this would go well.


End file.
